Chapter 43. The One Who Leads to Glory
The system seemed to be enjoying the victory more than any of the players.
After we became the first team of the season to reach ten wins, system messages appeared even more frequently than the cheers from the crowd.
[Team morale has greatly increased!]
[All teammates are sharing the joy of victory!]
[Everyone is deeply moved by this first step toward winning the championship!]
[The Oceans of the past have achieved something even the future team never accomplished!]
[A miracle has occurred!!!!!!!!!]
Looking at it like this, it felt as though the status window had forgotten its original purpose.
Weren’t you supposed to be a system?
[Potential Acquired: The One Who Leads to Glory]
[Hidden Mission Complete: Record Breaker]
Choi Seong is on a journey to create another legend. This award is granted because he has broken a record for the first time in this life.
Reward: Whenever you set a new record, all stats will increase by 10% in the next game.
[You have taken another step toward the Busan Oceans’ championship.]
[Many fans and players will praise your incredible performance.]
[This record will forever be remembered by the Oceans. We support the great journey of ace pitcher Choi Seong.]
The system messages poured out endlessly.
Since the alerts kept appearing one after another, I waved my hand and closed them all.
Choi Seong
Pitcher Status Window (Super Rookie +10%)
Stamina: 114/200
Fastball: 85+9/100
Slider: 57+6/100
Circle Changeup: 33+3/100
Power Curve: 22+2/100
Curve: 11+1/100
Screwball: 2/100 (Championship Contractor)
Injury Risk While Pitching: 8.4%
(Increasing the number of slots will raise the injury risk.)
Batter Status Window
Power: 73+7/100
(Limit Break possible after exceeding 100)
Contact: 63+6/100
(Limit Break possible after exceeding 100)
Speed: 32+3/100
(Limit Break possible after exceeding 100)
Potential
(Activates when specific conditions are met)
Indomitable Will: Choi Seong from his previous life created miracles no matter the situation. Emotional fluctuations are reduced.
Sweet Revenge: Activates when hit by a pitch or intentionally walked during a game. It can also activate when Choi Seong experiences emotional agitation. All stats temporarily increase by 20%.
Championship Contractor: Activates when the team finished near the bottom of the standings in the previous season. You may choose one breaking ball to use throughout the season without increasing injury risk.
(Selected Pitch: Screwball)
Super Rookie: All stats increase by 10% during your debut season. If you win awards such as MVP or Rookie of the Year, additional stats will be granted and the potential will evolve.
Spoiler Squad: When facing a team ranked higher or currently on a winning streak, all pitching and batting stats increase by 1.
The One Who Leads to Glory: All stats increase by 1.
Record Breaker: Whenever you set a new personal record, all stats increase by 10% in the next game.
The One Who Leads to Glory, huh?
The name itself sounded flashy, so I didn’t dislike it.
The stat bonus wasn’t bad either.
Most of my bonuses only activated under certain conditions.
These were completely different.
“He has now become a national treasure of Korean baseball! Choi Seong, who has thrown twenty-three consecutive scoreless innings, has been named today’s MVP. We’ll have a short interview with him. This is the first time you’ve broken a Korean baseball record in your career. Do you have any special thoughts?”
“I’m trying not to place too much meaning on records. Once I start thinking about them, I’ll keep thinking about them.”
“Yes. This year, the Busan Oceans have become the first team to reach ten wins. This has never happened since the KBO was founded in 1982. What do you think is the reason behind this incredible early-season run?”
Why were you asking me that?
Still...
The Busan Oceans had never once been the first team in the league to reach ten wins since 1982?
That was a little surprising.
I calmly thought about it.
What exactly was driving our team’s rise?
“It’s simple. Because I’m here.”
“Pardon?”
“I think this happened because I’m here.”
“R-Right. Honestly, that’s difficult to deny...”
“The team I’m on will win the championship. That’s what I believe.”
I said it with confidence.
At the same time, the fans listening to the live interview erupted into cheers.
I had wanted to say something like this in my previous life.
But back then, I had always been timid.
Every time I gave an interview, it was always—
It was thanks to the manager and coaching staff who helped me...
Something like that.
Those people had only worked hard because they wanted to use me.
Thinking about them never brought back good memories.
Of course, I did like this current coaching staff.
They had taken my workload into consideration today and only let me pitch through the sixth inning.
Still...
I was myself now.
That was why I spoke so boldly.
“Thank you for cooperating with the interview. That was such an impressive statement. We sincerely hope you continue playing this well!”
Our conversation on camera ended.
But there was another conversation once the cameras stopped rolling.
“Could I get your number? If I come to Busan on another business trip, let’s have dinner together!”
She was a woman with impressive persistence.
I shook my head.
“I’m sorry.”
In my previous life, I probably would have happily followed along.
But now I thought differently.
Every new relationship was exhausting.
I literally had a condition where I would die if I failed to win the championship this season.
Did romance or any other little thing matter right now?
I would rather spend that time running Choi Seong School and teaching even one more player.
And Choi Seong School was actually producing results.
The bullpen participants had only allowed three runs today.
That was an excellent result.
Busan Oceans General Manager Kim Sangwon calmly watched the situation unfold.
With a serious expression, he continuously looked around at the other staff members.
The Busan Oceans had become the first team to reach ten wins since Korean professional baseball was founded in 1982.
And yet the front office remained solemn.
There was only one reason.
“Seriously, should we build a statue of Choi Seong or not?”
At those words, huge smiles appeared on the faces of several employees who had been maintaining serious expressions.
“We should build it!”
“Not yet! If we do that now, Seong will get cursed at! People will say he’s arrogant!”
The two opinions fiercely clashed.
Surprisingly, Choi Seong’s interview from yesterday—the one they had worried about—had become incredibly popular.
Two of Korea’s major corporations had already contacted them that morning with offers to make him an advertising model.
The club had planned to review the offers, but Choi Seong had given them a simple answer.
“I’ll do broadcasts or advertisements after the season ends. Right now, I want to focus on winning the championship with the team.”
How cool had that simple response been?
General Manager Kim Sangwon’s heart raced at the birth of a true star player.
“Right. Since he rejected the advertisements, we should at least build him a statue. He also set the new record with twenty-three consecutive scoreless innings. We’ve got more than enough justification, don’t we?”
“General Manager, that’s... way too... He hasn’t even made ten starts since his debut yet...”
While opinions about building the statue remained evenly divided, someone proposed a revolutionary idea.
“Then how about this? First, we create an internal award ceremony. Every time he breaks a record, we give him money. Wouldn’t that be better than building some meaningless statue? The way I see it, a statue isn’t even the real issue with Choi Seong. When Sajik Baseball Stadium gets rebuilt someday, he’s the kind of guy they might rename it Choi Seong Stadium after.”
“Oh?”
General Manager Kim Sangwon’s ears perked up.
The employee confidently continued.
“Let’s give him ten million won every time he extends the innings record. That way, he can earn ten million won per game.”
“Good. At least we can recognize his achievements that way.”
“Yes. No need to make it too flashy. Let’s just call the award ‘Monster.’ Nice and simple.”
Because of the employee’s naming sense, General Manager Kim Sangwon had to think again.
What should they call the award?
Before our second game of the season against the Masan Wolves, I was suddenly called onto the mound.
The game hadn’t even started yet, but countless reporters were already taking pictures of me.
The flashes were so intense that my eyes hurt.
“We will now begin the first Record Breaker Award Ceremony.”
Record Breaker...
That was exactly the same name as the potential I had recently acquired.
Neither General Manager Kim Sangwon nor my future status window seemed particularly talented when it came to naming things.
“Choi Seong has recorded twenty-three consecutive scoreless innings, establishing a new Korean baseball record for the most consecutive scoreless innings pitched. We hereby present this award to Choi Seong. The prize money is ten million won. If he extends the record in his next game, additional prize money will be awarded.”
Continuous prize money?
My ears perked up more at that than at the actual amount.
So basically, they would give me money every time I broke the record?
I hadn’t wanted any of those ideas that had supposedly been discussed in the front office anyway.
Building a statue.
Setting off fireworks every game.
The offers from major corporations were the same.
The former was just flashy decoration.
As for the latter, I was too busy with baseball to have time for it.
“Thank you. I’ll keep working hard.”
Did the media want a more dramatic answer?
Well, my interview yesterday had become a hot topic.
[Choi Seong Says Oceans’ 10 Wins Are All “Because of Me”]
[Confident Star Player Choi Seong Is Changing Games]
[Terrifying Growth of a Rookie... Choi Seong: “Eighty Percent of Those 10 Wins Are Thanks to Me”]
They had even turned things I never said into headlines.
Still, the response from the fans was overwhelmingly positive.
Choi Seong is literally a god. How the hell are the trash Oceans in first place;;;
I always coped by saying we’d make postseason baseball someday, but this is literally the first time I’ve seen us reach ten wins first lol
How much of a disaster was this team for a rookie to come in and do everything?
Day 1 of praying for a no-mercy home run
I joined Choi Seong School and my success story began
Choi Seong School changed my life!
I chuckled at the ridiculous comments.
And my batting average was firmly in first place.
Exactly .403.
Four hundred and three.
The same went for home runs.
Although Yoon Jaejun and Davis were ahead of me, I was still third with six.
This was enough.
I was maintaining a very nice pace.
Wasn’t I progressing faster than the other teams?
For reference, Games 2 and 3 against the Wolves ended rather easily.
Our team was playing well, of course.
But the Wolves also seemed to be in pretty bad condition right now.
“It’s really strange. We’re basically from the same region, but one side only plays well when it’s hot and the other only plays well when it’s cold.”
I chuckled when I heard Yoon Jaejun muttering beside me.
Still, there was something I could clearly feel.
When a team was playing well, there was a certain atmosphere around it.
And no one understood that better than the players themselves.
I hit a home run in the third game.
Pitchers no longer gave me anything good to hit.
After we completed the sweep, the Wolves manager left me with a meaningful remark.
“Seong. We’ve completely analyzed your weaknesses now.”
I didn’t respond.
The statement itself was funny enough.
Our next opponent was the Seoul Magicians.
They were the unpredictable team that had ultimately prevented the Gwangju Jaguars from reaching ten wins.
